It is the wish of Dr Wong Chung-kwong, former Professor and Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, to improve mental health of people in Hong Kong and the whole of China. With a view to realize this wish, he has been promoting the ICAN practical psychology model, innovated by him, to people from all walks of life in different places for more than a decade.

A psychiatrist of more than 30 years, Dr Wong feels deeply that mental health is very important to the individual, family, society and country. He developed the scientific and value-based ICAN practical psychology model with the aim to enhance the mental health quality of individuals and the community as a whole.

In 2005, Dr Wong founded the non-profit voluntary organization “Whole Person Education Foundation” and became its chairman. The Foundation promotes the “ICAN Whole Person Education” training to adults and students in Hong Kong. In the school sector, teachers of participating schools first receive training from Dr Wong and his team to enhance their mental health. They then receive training on using the student curricula so as to guide their students on strengthening their psychological quality and motivation to learn. In 2012, the Foundation received funding from local charities and expanded the project to cover 80 kindergartens in five less well-off districts, benefiting more than 20,000 teachers, children and parents.

Dr Wong also frequently promotes public awareness on mental health in a simple and easy to understand way through the mass media and working with different organizations.

Geographical barriers do not hold Dr Wong back from promoting mental health. Projects were rolled out by the Foundation in schools in Macau and Shenzhen. Late last year, he started the first county-based project in 51 kindergartens, and primary and secondary schools in the impoverished Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County. Over 49,000 teachers, students and parents are expected to benefit from the three-year project.

“I see it as my mission to enhance the mental health quality of people in our country. As long as I live, I will continue to gather like-minded people to work together to promote mental health in our community and our country,” said Dr Wong. Driving the cause in different Chinese provinces and cities, Dr Wong has translated the training materials into Putonghua to meet the needs of the Mainland.